hello everyone,

I'm a 28 year old student who just recently got a concussion (it's been about a month now) but things are not improving very much...still get headaches and I have problems concentrating, and especially lately I feel very depressed. Have a lot of other things going on in my life as well (not all positive) and having to deal with it all is too much at times.

I've been prescribed elavil for the migraines, I've only taken it for a few days but I'm not seeing a lot of improvement. I also feel really frustrated about not being able to exercise, and stressed out about all the things I need to do , which is not helping with the recovery. Before the concussion , one of my stress-busters was exercise, but now I can't make use of it, at least for a while.

When are things going to improve? I've been trying to stay positive but in the last few days I'm really feeling down. Any advice, words of wisdom or hope are greatly appreciated

Welcome to NT

It takes time for concussions to heal.

here is our brain injury and post concussion forum.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum92.html

There's lots of info here, so ask if you need to know how to find something.

Hello and welcome to our little brain boo boo club.

At one month, you are early in the recovery process. While there is absolutely no way to predict a specific recovery date, many mild concussions resolve themselves within six months. On the other hand, some don't and the patient is left to deal with Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS) symptoms for years or even a lifetime.

That said, don't panic. Assuming this was a first injury and you didn't lose consciousness, your relative youth should allow you to make a good recovery. What's important is that you don't do anything to make your recovery slower or less complete.

I can't emphasize enough how important it is for you to rest physically and mentally. Talk to the disability office at your school about making accommodations for you while you heal. As much as possible, remove stressors from your life - nothing is more important than your recovery.

In addition to rest, it is important for you to abstain from alcohol and eat a healthy diet. Other members will be along who will be able to recommend supplements that you might find helpful.

To make your life more bearable, you need to seek help for your concussion symptoms. Depression is very common after concussion. Some people also experience anxiety and panic attacks. You might want to meet with a psychologist versed in brain injury to discuss how you're coping. While I'm not a fan, some patients find SSRIs helpful.

How is your sleep? Many of us have sleep issues. There are many drugs available, but low doses Amitriptyline are usually the first meds tried. Some folks also find that Amitriptyline eases their headaches. Depakote ER, imitrex and midrin are among the many medications available for headaches. I personally haven’t had much luck with headache meds and have resorted to acupuncture, ice and quiet, dark rooms for some relief.

If your injury persists, you may want to consider other treatment and testing options. At this stage, I would like to warn you that a “clean” MRI means little. Conventional MRIs and CAT scans are not sensitive enough to image tears and damage in the tiny axons that cover the brain. Consequently, folks with obvious cognitive deficits can scan “clean.” If you really want to know how your brain is functioning, you’ll need to have neuro-psychological testing. Neuro-psychs are valuable for targeting cognitive therapy and for helping patients gain access to needed services and assistance.

PCS patients often have to advocate for themselves to get care. On that score, I would urge you to learn as much about head injury as you can. Some excellent sources for further reading include: the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA)www.biausa.org; www.tbiguide.com and our own TBI forum here on NT http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum92.html If that's too much reading, there are a number of excellent Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) videos on You Tube. (Who knew it wasn’t just idiots surfing on cars?)

Wishing you a speedy recovery,
Hockey

Hi, and welcome to NT! This is a great place with lots of caring, supportive, and helpful people.

We're so glad you found us!

Oh, Hockey, you're so funny. he-hee-hee!!!!!!!!!

Well Wings, I figure laughing is always better than crying.

hi and welcome!

It took my son a year to get over the majority of problems....he still
is having some memory difficulties two years later. Our PCS forum
has alot of great folks and they are willing to answer all your ?s and
give you lots of support!

good luck!

Hi and welcome.

It takes time for those of us with concussions to overcome them.

Donna